Listen. Engage. Respond.

According to Arianna Huffington, a part of the Huffington
Post's success has been based on that simple strategy: Listen. Engage. Respond.
It's no secret that the general sentiment towards Corporate America is at an
all-time low. Couple consumer doubt with the economic hardships that the majority
of Americans are facing and marketers are now faced with using their
conversations in social media to help public relations initiatives to foster
trust and loyalty to the brand, product or company.

For The Huffington Post part of building this trust has been
through creating content around topics that the readership cares about. How do
they know what their readers want? They listen and ask then they act. Arianna
reminded us that, self-expression has become the new form of entertainment and
they foster this dialogue to further nurture reader relations. Leveraging these
insights has enabled The Huffington Post to cultivate a participatory and loyal
readership. Here are four other ways they continue to differentiate:

Watch the trends. With a small internal
staff, THP leverages a vast pool of talent who contribute to the internet
newspaper through blog posts.

Get a cause. Create a pulse, a
personality, a value system for your brand. Customers want a connection to your
brand that resonates with them.

Accept failure. Or run the risk of
becoming stale. The biggest risks come with the biggest rewards. Experiment.

Be nimble. Operate as flat as possible
and encourage input from all levels of the organization.

While these ideas may not be new, they are the tenets to
developing a successful presence in the social media presence where your
audience is savvy, is easily distracted and demands a more personal
relationship. As Arianna explains, "Time is long. Life is short." Slow down,
start having some meaningful conversations with your audience, and be sure to take
notes.